


d Sailors Historical Society 

of Rhode Island 



Personal Narratives 


FIFTH SERIES, No. 5 







I 


Operations of the Cavalry Corps, 

February 27, to March 8, $865 

Participated in by the 

First Rhode Island Cavalry 


By WILLIAM GARDINER 
[Late First Sergeant, First Rhode Island Cavalry.] 

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PERSONAL NARRATIVES 


OF EVENTS IN TIIE 

War of the Rebellion, 


BEING PAPERS READ BEFORE THE 

RHODE ISLAND SOLDIERS AND SAILORS 

)| 

HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 


Fifth Series-No. 5. 




PROVIDENCE: 

PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY. 




SNOW & FARNHAM, 


PRINTERS. 


OPERATIONS OF THE CAVALRY CORPS 

MIDDLE MILITARY DIVISION, 

Armies or the United States, 


FROM 

FEBRUARY 27 TO MARCH 8, 1865, 

PARTICIPATED IN BY THE 

First Rhode Island Cavalry 


BY 

WILLIAM GARDINER, 
u 

[Late First Sergeant First Rhode Island Cavalry.] 


PROVIDENCE : 

PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY. 

1896. 




t 52S 

I s-V-c^ 



[Edition limited to two hundred and fifty copies.] 


I am to present a paper * that differs somewhat in 
its character from those that have been read before 
this Society in the past. Its purpose is to correct 
what has been accepted as history of one of the 
Army incidents of the Civil War, by giving th q facts 
in narrative form of that incident, and the facts pre¬ 
sented will differ materially from the official record 
of the government of the event described. The 
narrative has been written under the title : 


OPERATIONS OF THE CAVALRY CORPS, MIDDLE 
MILITARY DIVISION, ARMIES OF THE UNITED 
STATES, FROM FEBRUARY 27 TO MARCH 8, 
1865, PARTICIPATED IN BY THE FIRST RHODE 
ISLAND CAVALRY. 


The glorious campaign of Sheridan, in the Valley 
of Virginia, will abide in our memory so long as life 
endures, and it will never cease to be a source of 
pride to the American people, (north of “Mason 
and Dixon’s” line)—so long as great deeds, prolific 
of great results, are appreciated. 

During the winter of 1864 and 1865, immediately 
succeeding the campaign mentioned, a cavalry force 
of about 10,000 was left in the valley with camp near 
Winchester. 

The monotony of camp life and its duties was 
broken early on the morning of Monday, February 
27, 1865, by the welcome order, “break camp,” and 
each man was given five days’ rations in haversacks, 
and thirty pounds of forage for his horse; fifteen 



FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 


7 


clay’s rations of coffee, sugar, and salt, were taken in 
wagons, one for each division. 

Our train consisted of three wagons, eight ambu¬ 
lances, eight pontoon boats, and ammunition train; 
no other wagons were permitted to accompany the 
train. 

The effective force of this expedition was as fol¬ 


lows : 

First Division, Brig.-Gen. Thomas 

C. Devin, officers and men, . . 5,047 

One Section, Cos. C and E, Fourth 
U. S. Artillery, officers and men, 54 
Third Division, Maj.-Gen. George 
A. Custer, officers and men, . . 4,840 

One Section, Co. M, Second U. S. 
Artillery, officers and men, . . 46 


Total,.9,987 


With this force, all in fine condition, with “ Little 
Phil ’ ’ at the head, we marched out from camp in 
the early morning, and headed up the valley into a 
country made so desolate by Sheridan’s vigorous 




8 OPERATIONS OF THE CAVALRY CORPS. 

campaigning the previous Fall, and bare of subsist¬ 
ence to that extent, that a crow flying over it would 
have to take his rations with him. 

General Grant had been for several months exceed¬ 
ingly anxious to destroy the Central Railroad and 
the James River Canal, both great arteries of supply 
for the City of Richmond, and the Army of North 
Virginia. General David Hunter had made one or 
two campaigns in that direction, but had failed to 
accomplish the desired result. Our first day’s march 
crossed Cedar Creek, Tumbling Run, and Tom’s 
Brook, the scene of our running fight with General 
Rosser, and ever after best known to us as the 
“Woodstock Races,” where we captured everything 
he had on wheels. We went into camp at Wood- 
stock, having marched thirty miles. 

Up early next morning (28th), and at six o’clock 
we were again on the move. This day we marched 
through Edenburg, across the North Fork of the 
Shenandoah River on our pontoon bridge, through 
Newmarket, going into camp at Lacey’s Springs, 
nine miles north of Harrisonburg. Small bands of 
guerillas had hovered on our flanks during the day, 


FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 


9 


but no effort was made to drive them off, and no 
damage was done by them; distance marched twenty- 
nine miles. 

March resumed at 6 A. M., March 1st, through 
Harrisonburg and Mount Crawford, and camp 
pitched that evening on Middle River ; during the 
day’s march we had been considerably annoyed by 
small forces of the enemy, and Rosser, with a force 
of two or three hundred men, attempted to burn the 
bridge over the Middle Fork of the Shenandoah, but 
did not succeed. Two of Colonel Capehart’s regi¬ 
ments swam the river above the bridge, charged 
Rosser and routed him, driving him rapidly to Cline’s 
Mills, the advance pushing almost to Staunton ; but 
few of the enemy were killed, thirty taken prisoners, 
and twenty wagons and ambulances, with their con¬ 
tents, were captured and destroyed. Our loss was 
five men wounded. Cline’s Mills are seven miles 
from Staunton, where the headquarters of General 
Early were said to be. Not knowing but that he 
would make a fight at Staunton, Colonel Stagg’s 
brigade of the First Division was ordered to destroy 
the railroad bridge over Christian’s Creek, between 


10 OPERATIONS OF THE CAVALRY CORPS. 

Staunton and Waynesborough, to prevent his getting 
reinforcements by rail, or, in case he would not 
stand, to prevent him carrying off supplies and ord¬ 
nance stores. The bridge was burned, but Early, 
learning of our approach, made a hasty retreat to 
Waynesborough, leaving word in Staunton that he 
intended to fight at that place. 

The next morning we entered Staunton. “Little 
Phil ” was now in a quandary what it was best to 
do, pursue the course to Lynchburg, leaving Early 
in his rear, or go out and fight his (Early’s) infantry 
and cavalry, defeat him, and open a way through 
Rockfish Gap, and so have everything in his hands 
for the accomplishment of that portion of his instruc¬ 
tions which directed the destruction of the Central 
Railroad and the James River Canal. He decided 
upon the latter course, and Custer’s division was 
directed to take up the pursuit, followed closely by 
Devin’s division. The rain had been pouring in 
torrents for two days, and the roads were bad beyond 
description; nevertheless the men pushed boldly on, 
although men and horses could scarcely be recognized 
for the mud which covered them. 


FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 


11 


Custer found Early in a well chosen position at 
Waynesborough with two brigades of infantry, some 
cavalry under Rosser, the infantry occupying breast¬ 
works. Custer, without waiting for the enemy to 
get up his courage over the delay of a careful recon- 
naisance, made his dispositions for attack at once, 
sending three regiments around the left flank of the 
enemy, which was somewhat exposed by being ad¬ 
vanced from , instead of resting upon the bank of the 
river in his immediate rear. 

Custer, with his other two brigades, partly mounted 
and partly dismounted, at a given signal boldly 
attacked and impetuously carried the enemy’s works, 
while the Eighth New York and First Connecticut, 
which were formed in fours, charged over the breast¬ 
works and continued through the town of Waynes¬ 
borough, sabreing a few men as they went along, and 
did not stop until they had crossed the South Fork 
of the Shenandoah River, which was immediately in 
Early’s rear, where they formed as foragers, and 
with drawn sabres held the east bank of the stream. 

The enemy threw down their arms and surren¬ 
dered, with cheers at the suddenness with which 
they were captured. 


12 OPERATIONS OF THE CAVALRY CORPS. 

The general officers present in this engagement 
with Early were Long, Wharton, Lilley, and Rosser, 
and it is a wonder how they escaped, unless they hid 
in obscure places in houses of the town. 

The substantial results of this brilliant fight were 
eleven pieces of artillery, with horses and caissons 
complete, about two hundred wagons and teams, all 
loaded with subsistence, camp and garrison equipage, 
ammunition, and officers’ baggage, seventeen battle 
flags, and one thousand and six hundred officers and 
enlisted men. The results, in a military point of 
view, were very great, as the crossing of the Blue 
Ridge, covered with snow as it was, at any other 
point, would have been difficult. 

The disposal of the prisoners was the next ques¬ 
tion to be considered, and it was decided to send 
them to Winchester, more than one hundred miles 
away, under guard. The First New Hampshire and 
First Rhode Island, and a mixed crowd with lame 
and nearly worn out horses, and a number of dis¬ 
mounted men, taken from the many regiments of the 
command, about twelve hundred in all, were placed 
under the command of Colonel John L. Thompson, 


FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 


IB 


of the First New Hampshire (formerly Lieutenant- 
Colonel of the First Rhode Island), and ordered to 
conduct the prisoners back within our lines at Win¬ 
chester. 

I will venture the opinion that, at no time during 
the war, did an officer have a more disagreeable 
service imposed upon him than that upon which 
Colonel Thompson was about to enter, and one. of 
the purposes of this narrative is to show how satis¬ 
factorily he performed this duty, under the most dif¬ 
ficult and discouraging circumstances, and the story, 
with some exceptions, cannot be better told than by 
the Colonel himself, in his official report, after his 
arrival at Winchester. 

This report can be found on page 528, Series 1, 
Vol. XLVI., Official Records , War of the Rebellion , 
which reads as follows : 

REPORT OF COLONEL JOHN L. THOMPSON, FIRST 
NEW HAMPSHIRE CAVALRY, OF OPERATIONS 
FROM MARCH 3d TO 8th, 1865. 

Headquarters, Detachment of Cavalry, 

Winchester, Va., March 9, 1865. 

Sir: I have the honor to submit the following report of 
the conducting a convoy of prisoners from Waynesborough to 
2 


14 OPERATIONS OF THE CAVALRY CORPS. 


our lines at this place. Some one thousand three hundred 
prisoners, including fifty-six officers, were turned over to me 
at Waynesborough on the 3d inst., with instructions to conduct 
them to Winchester. 

I was furnished with an escort consisting of the dismounted 
men and those with poor horses from all the cavalry, about 
six hundred men, together with seven small organizations, 
numbering about six hundred men in the ranks. 

I destroyed at Waynesborough four guns and caissons, and 
six ambulances, leaving the sick and wounded in the houses, 
the horses and mules being too weak to draw them. I took a 
gun with a train of fourteen horses and two mules. I was not 
provided with forage for the animals, nor rations for the escort 
or prisoners, except three days’ rations of coffee, sugar, and 
salt. 

I encamped at Fisherville on the night of the 3d, and before 
daylight sent the Fourth New York Cavalry, Major Schwartz 
commanding, to secure the two bridges between Staunton and 
Harrisonburg, as the streams were so swollen that it was im¬ 
possible to ford them. They arrived only in time to save them 
from burning. 

Major Schwartz was directed to inform the citizens of Staun¬ 
ton that a large number of prisoners would pass through the 
town, and that they must supply them with food. 

On reaching Staunton I found a few females bringing out a 
poor pittance in baskets; I refused to allow them to approach 
the prisoners, and told the citizens that they could have half 
an hour to provide food, or I should take it from the Insane 
Asylum. 


FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 


15 


They brought none, and I took flour and bacon from the 
Asylum, upon which the prisoners subsisted until they arrived 
at this place. I learned at Staunton that General Rosser was 
collecting his command, which had all been furloughed, for 
the purpose of releasing the prisoners. He had only fifty men 
with whom he skirmished with our rear guard and prevented 
foraging, except with large parties. At Harrisonburg Mc¬ 
Neil’s company joined him, together with about one hundred 
more of his regular troops. He had sent dispatches in ou r 
front to all parts of the country, directing the citizens and sol¬ 
diers to rendezvous at Mt. Jackson to prevent our crossing the 
North Fork of the Shenandoah, stating that he would follow 
with his forces, and certainly capture us. 

I arrived at Mt. Jackson at noon on the 6th, and found the 
river impassable, even for horsemen, except at the ford near 
the pike. A force of two hundred men had collected, and held 
all the fords. 

I spent the afternoon in trying to build a bridge by felling 
trees, but was unsuccessful. The river was falling rapidly 
however, and would be fordable next morning. At daylight I 
directed Major Brown, commanding the Twenty-second New 
York, with his own regiment and the First Rhode Island, to 
force the ford above the pike, and drive the enemy from the 
main ford. This was executed very handsomely ; in ten min¬ 
utes time the enemy was scattered in the mountains, and we 
had taken several prisoners. 

At this time the enemy attacked our rear, which had taken a 
position on Rude’s Hill, but was repulsed. 

The dismounted men and prisoners forded the stream in 


16 OPERATIONS OF THE CAVALRY CORPS. 


groups of fifty or sixty, holding each other by the arm. It was 
impossible for a single footman to ford, the water being breast 
high, with a rapid current. 

When the fording was nearly completed General Rosser, with 
about three hundred men, made a vigorous assault upon the 
troops guarding our rear, and was again repulsed, with a loss 
to him of ten killed, several wounded, and twenty-five pris¬ 
oners. The enemy made no other attack, though I was in¬ 
formed by the citizens that Mosby’s men were to join General 
Rosser, and they would attack us in our camp that night. We 
marched, however, across Cedar Creek, and encamped in the 
earthworks at that place, reaching our lines at Winchester at 
noon on the 8th. I think General Rosser gave up the pursuit 
at Woodstock. 

During the night at Mt. Jackson the gun we had brought 
was spiked and the carriage destroyed, as I was fearful that 
it could not be drawn over the ford, and it might fall into the 
hands of the enemy. I had no ammunition for it, the cart¬ 
ridges having been taken, by order of General Merritt, to de¬ 
stroy the bridge at Waynesborough. 

Lieut.-Colonel Nichols, Ninth New York Cavalry, who was 
detailed by General Sheridan to take command of the troops 
of the First Division, rendered very efficient services. 

Lieut.-Colonel Boice, Fifth New York Cavalry, whom I put 
in charge of those from the Third Division, deserves high com¬ 
mendation ; he covered the rear during the entire march. His 
repulse of the enemy in the two assaults at Rude’s Hill was 
brilliant; the prisoners could not withold their commenda¬ 
tion, but shouted with our own men. 


FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 


IT 


Major Brown, Twenty-second New York, also merits praise 
for the manner in which he forced the ford, and cleared the enemy 
from our front.* 

The troops were all severely tried with labor and hunger, 
and behaved perfectly. Our loss was one officer (Captain 
Wyatt, First New Hampshire), and five men wounded, and two 
captured. 

The number of prisoners was increased by four officers and 
thirty men. 

I have the honor to be, 

Your obedient servant, 

J. L. THOMPSON, 

Colonel First New Hampshire Cavalry, Commanding Detachment. 

Assistant Adjutant-General, Cavalry Corps, Middle Military Division. 

Endorsement: 

Headquarters Cavalry, 

Middle Military Division, March 10, 1865. 

Respectfully forwarded. 

The attention of the Major-General commanding is particu¬ 
larly invited to this report. The harassing difficulties over¬ 
come, and the skill, genius, and judgment displayed by Colonel 
Thompson in bringing safely to Winchester more prisoners 
than he started with, is deserving of the highest commenda¬ 
tion and worthy of more than an ordinary notice. 

A. T. A. TORBERT, 

Brevet Major-General, etc. 

* The italics are mine. W. G. 



18 OPERATIONS OF THE CAVALRY CORPS. 

The capture of the remnant of Early’s army at 
Waynesborough was a terrible blow to the hope of 
the Confederates that Sheridan would be stopped in 
his onward march, which was well understood by 
them to be directed against the Central Railroad and 
the James River Canal, and the defeat, thorough and 
complete, of the only organized command that might 
prevent such destruction, came with the force of a 
thunderbolt to paralyze them with fear, and already 
they could see and read the handwriting on the 
wall, proclaiming the downfall of the Confederacy. 

To them it was a discouraging outlook, but out of 
all the despondency and gloom came the cheering 
assurance from Rosser (the “Saviour of the Val¬ 
ley”), that their fathers, brothers, and sons, cap¬ 
tured at Waynesborough, would be soon recaptured, 
with their “Yankee guard.” How that prophecy 
was fulfilled the foregoing pages explain. 

The following report indicates that Rosser satisfied 
his superiors, if he did not himself: 


FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 


19 


Headquarters, Army of Northern Virginia, 
March 9, 1865. 

General John C. Breckenridge, Secretary of War: 

General Rosser reports that on the 5th, with a few of his 
men, he attacked the enemy near Harrisonburg, who were 
guarding prisoners taken at Waynesborough, and captured a 
few prisoners. On the morning of the 7th, again attacked 
near Rude’s Hill. 

Having detained them for a day and night at the river, he 
caused them to retire in haste, abandoning the only piece of 
artillery they had and their ambulance. He annoyed them a 
great deal, and enabled a good many of our men to escape. 

(Signed,) R. E. LEE. 

As a matter of fact only two men of our escort 
were captured and none of the prisoners escaped, and, 
it is my earnest opinion and belief that none desired 
to escape, for their service under Early’s leadership 
had thoroughly disgusted them with such warfare as 
they had experienced in the Valley of Virginia, and 
they were sensible enough to realize that the success 
of Federal arms, and the consequent restoration of 
the Union were assured beyond a reasonable doubt, 
and in conversation with them during this trip down 
the Valley, I found a number of them very ready to 


20 OPERATIONS OF THE CAVALRY CORPS. 

express such a belief, and they declared that they 
had already sacrificed too much in a hopeless cause. 

Now a few words concerning the charge across the 
ford, and through the town of Mt. Jackson, that 
resulted, to use the language of Colonel Thompson, 
u in the scattering of the enemy to the mountains,” 
and was “ executed handsomely .” 

The advance of that charging force was Troop A, 
First Rhode Island Cavalry, commanded by our 
genial and much loved comrade, Lieutenant Samuel 
C. Willis. If there was any other officer in com¬ 
mand I did not see him, and I was very close to 
Lieutenant Willis during the entire movement. In 
fact the whole affair seems quite fresh in my mem¬ 
ory, although thirty years have elapsed — (does it 
seem possible, comrades?)—since the incident. 

This was our last engagement with the enemy, and 
it is strange but nevertheless true, that the battle of 
Cedar Mountain, our first, and this last one, are the 
best remembered by me of all our engagements, ex¬ 
cepting our Middleburg racket, that resulted so dis¬ 
astrously to our regiment, and put a star upon the 
shoulder of that splendid officer, Alfred N. Duffi£. 


FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 


21 


The chill of the water as we forded the river that 
March morning in 1865, the movement along the 
river bank after we had crossed, behind a screen of 
bash and young tree growth that fringed the stream 
from the ford almost to the town of Mt. Jackson, our 
sudden and unexpected appearance near the bridge 
and main street of the town, so near the enemy 
guarding the bridge that we could discern the color 
of their eyes, the confusion among them caused by 
our sudden appearance, the few shots they sent us, 
the clear ringing voice of Lieutenant Willis as he, 
rising in his stirrups, fairly yelled, “ There they are, 
come on First Rhode Island,” the swift pursuit we 
made, with drawn sabres, through the main street of 
the town to its north side, where we took position on 
a knoll on the left of the pike, and waited the arrival 
of our supports, all seem a recent event to me. 

In our front all but a few of the enemy had disap¬ 
peared, and those few were among some scattering 
trees east of the pike about a quarter of a mile away, 
and they sent us a few scattering shots, without 
damage. 

I wish that I could remember the names of all the 


22 OPERATIONS OF THE CAVALRY CORPS. 

men that took part in the charge through the town, 
for it was not only gallant, hut audacious in the ex¬ 
treme, and wonderfully successful in extricating the 
command from its disagreeable position that was 
hourly getting more and more perplexing as rein¬ 
forcements were added to the enemy’s force. 

If my memory serves me right, Sergeants Crane, 
Spencer, and Cross, Privates Blake and Remington, 
were in the charge, besides Lieutenant Willis, my¬ 
self, and a scout who joined us when we crossed the 
river and volunteered his services, and was accepted 
by Lieutenant Willis. I am quite sure that our 
charging force did not exceed fifteen in number, and 
this small number of veterans attacked certainly jive 
times their number of Confederates, and “ scattered 
them to the mountains .” 

I cannot find any report of our regimental opera¬ 
tions, from February 27th to March 8th, inclusive, 
in the official records or elsewhere, only such as the 
brief mention made of it in Colonel Thompson’s 
report, that gives all the credit to “ Major Brown 
and his regiment, the Twenty-second New York,” 
for the scattering of the enemy to the mountains. 


FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 


23 


It is in evidence that the order for our movement 
across the river was given to Lieutenant Willis by 
Captain Capron, who, at that time, was in command 
of the First Rhode Island, and it would be interest¬ 
ing for many of us to know what part Major Brown, 
of the Twenty-second New York, had in the affair. 

The members of our regiment are ever ready and 
willing to give to the comrades of other commands 
all that may be due them, but we must “ open our 
lips and bark ” a little when they are honored at our 
expense. 

Colonel John L. Thompson’s services as com¬ 
mander of this detachment were so much appreciated 
at corps headquarters that he was breveted brig¬ 
adier-general United States Volunteers, on recom¬ 
mendation of General Sheridan. 

There is no doubt as to the order given Major 
Brown by Colonel Thompson to cross the river and 
“ force the ford,” but it is not as clear to my mind 
how it happened that our regiment , instead of his 
own, the Twenty-second New York, were given the 
post of honor and danger in the movement. Imme¬ 
diately on the arrival of the detachment at Winches- 


24 OPERATIONS OF THE CAVALRY CORPS. 

ter, Colonel Thompson, with his usual business-like 
promptness, made a report of the operations of his 
command, and supposing that Major Brown had 
carried out the instructions given him, gave that 
officer and his regiment credit for the valuable results 
achieved by a portion of the First Rhode Island Cav¬ 
alry, and the compilers of the official records have 
published that report, and it must stand as history of 
the events described. 

Some persons will naturally inquire why this case 
is presented at this late day since the war, and in 
reply it can be said that until the last issue of the 
Official Records , Series 1, Volume XLVI., in which 
is published the report mentioned, there was no 
definite knowledge of the injustice done, although 
there has been much conjecture, since the war, in 
the minds of the comrades interested, as to the why 
and wherefore official credit was not given them for 
exceptionally hazardous, brilliant, and valuable service 
at Mt. Jackson, Virginia, March 7, 1865. 

Colonel Thompson had no motive for depriving 
the First Rhode Island Cavalry of any honor it de¬ 
served, and no disposition to do so, I am sure, for 


FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 


25 


our regiment was his first love, and up to the hour of 
his death, which occurred at Chicago, Ill., Jan¬ 
uary 1, 1888, his relations with his Rhode Island 
comrades were not only fraternal, in the strongest 
soldiery sense, but affectionate in the extreme, and 
in various well remembered ways he manifested his 
great interest in their Veteran Association. 

It is, to say the least, unfortunate for our regiment 
that no report of its operations, from February 27 
to March 8, 1865, was written and forwarded to 
either detachment or division headquarters. If 
that duty had been performed no such error would 
have been made in Colonel Thompson’s report, and 
the official records would have shown one more evi¬ 
dence of Rhode Island gallantry and soldiery achieve¬ 
ment in the Civil War, and my comrades would real¬ 
ize the gratification and satisfaction of knowing that 
their faithful and efficient service had been given 
official recognition in the great historical record of 
war events now published, and being published, by 
the government, under the title, Official Records 
of the War of the Rebellion . 

Such reports as the one in question, emanating 


3 


26 OPERATIONS OF THE CAVALRY CORPS. 

from the highest official source, and published in 
such a work, must stand as reliable, right or wrong. 

In the case I have submitted, the fact is illustrated 
that the pen is mightier than the sword, since it can 
take from those that have successfully wielded that 
weapon credit for such success, and give to others 
not in the least entitled to it. 

Comrades, our days are swiftly gliding by ; already 
many of our dear old comrades-in-arms have joined 
the “silent majority,” among whom are some of those 
who were present in that charge at Mt. Jackson, 
March 7, 1865. In justice to them, and ourselves, 
let us, while we can, give such facts as will correct 
false statements and consequent impressions. 


APPENDIX. 


Note. In support of the claim made in this publication for the honors 
due, and in confirmation of its statements in reference to the “ forcing of the 
ford,” and the attack upon and rout of the enemy at Mt. Jackson, Va., 
March 7, 1865, the following letters are annexed hereto by permission of 
their authors. 

Respectfully submitted, 

William Gardiner. 

Worcester, Mass., June 17, 1895. 

My Dear Comrade Gardiner: It seems very strange that 
the error in Colonel Thompson’s report should have been made 
that has been published in the “ Official Records.” There should 
not be any question as to the advance force that crossed the 
north Fork of the Shenandoah River on the morning of March 
7, 1865. 

I was ordered to take a portion of my Troop (A) and cross 
the river as an advance guard. This order was given me by 
Capt. Willis C. Capron, then in command of our small 
regiment. 

I called for volunteers, and a few men gallantly responded. I 
do not remember their names — wish I could recall them to my 
mind — but have been informed by Sergeant Jasper Spencer 
that only nine responded. With this small number of men 
and the scout that joined us after we crossed the river and 
offered his services to me and was accepted, we forced the 
enemy from the ford, charged and drove them from their posi¬ 
tion at the ruins of the destroyed bridge that formerly spanned 
the river at the Pike road, they retreating with a rush back to 
the bridge over the ditch at the fopt of the liill ? from which 


28 OPERATIONS OF THE CAVALRY CORPS. 


we drove them through the village of Mt. Jackson to the woods 
and mountains, by our rapid, brave and effective charge. 

The fact is, ours was the advance that morning, and contin¬ 
ued in the advance until we arrived at Cedar Creek that even- 
ning and went into bivouac; of this I am sure, for it was my 
good fortune to command the advance squadron the entire day. 
Every man now living who was there must remember our work 
all that day. Your paper is entirely correct, and its statements 
cannot be shaken. The charge at Mt. Jackson, as you declare 
in your paper, “ was gallant in the extreme and wonderfully 
successful,” but we all thought very little of it at the time, 
although jubilant over our success. 

Viewing the affair in retrospect, it does seem a great injus¬ 
tice that these nine or ten men, volunteers in an exceptionally 
hazardous movement that by their valor was made a grand suc¬ 
cess such as should entitle them to medals of honor, do not 
find even faint words of praise, but instead, credit for their 
brilliant service given to others not in the least deserving of it. 
If any other organization got in front of us that day when the 
river was crossed in the early morning, where did it go to, and 
how did it happen that we were the first to attack and rout 
the enemy? I will say in conclusion that had the officer then 
in command of our regiment kept a journal of the movements 
and operations of his command, as was his military duty to 
do, these things need not have been written. 

Faithfully yours, 

Samuel C. Willis, 

Formerly 1st Lieutenant Troop A, 1st R. I. Cavalry. 

Tilton, N. H., Nov. 11, 1895. 

My Dear Old Comrade: I hope you will forgive me for 
neglecting so long to acknowledge my appreciation of your 
paper on “ Cavalry Operations,” read by Major Bliss at the 


FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 


29 


recent Annual Reunion of the First New Hampshire Cavalry 
Veteran Association at Weirs, in this State. Your statements 
in reference to the Mt. Jackson episode are in accord with my 
memory of that affair, and I have excellent reason for retaining 
a clear recollection of that event, for it was my last fight, and in 
which I received a gun shot wound. 

In response to your request for my personal recollections of 
the situation at Mt. Jackson, March 6 and 7, 1865, I will say 
that my regiment, First New Hampshire Cavalry, arrived at 
Rude’s Hill a little after noon on the 6tli; we were a part of the 
rear guard; the advance guard, being the Twenty-second New 
York, were skirmishing with the enemy at the ford near the 
village of Mt. Jackson, and this continued most of the after¬ 
noon. 

Sometime during the night Colonel Thompson sent for me 
to come to his headquarters and “ talk over the situation.” 
While I was there an officer reported that the river was falling, 
and expressed the opinion that it would be possible to cross at 
a place he had found up the stream. The Colonel then said, 
turning to me, “By Moses, I will send the First Rhode Island 
across as soon as it is light in the morning and whip them fel¬ 
lows; then we can cross the prisoners and we will have the 
river between us and Rosser.” 

After talking over the situation and the probability of an 
early and hot attack on the rear by Rosser in the morning, I 
returned to my command, but not to sleep. The rear guard 
consisted of the Fifth New York, commanded by Major Boice, 
and the First New Hampshire. With the break of day I was on 
the watch from our position on Rude’s Hill to see the First 
Rhode Island cross the river, always a dangerous operation in 
the face of an enterprising enemy, but that regiment was over 
before we knew it. The first glimpse we had of them, they 
were nearly into the village; we could hear the firing and the 
cheers as the Rhode Islanders charged after the “ Johnnies,” 


30 OPERATIONS OF THE CAVALRY CORPS. 


now fleeing for their lives. Just at this time Rosser made a 
fierce attack on the First New Hampshire, and we, with assist¬ 
ance of the Fifth New York, drove the enemy back. In this 
affair I was wounded, and I still carry that piece of lead in my 
body as a souvenir of my last battle iu the Civil War. After the 
prisoners had crossed the river, I went over to the town, and 
the surgeon of the First Rhode Island dressed my wound. 

Since the war I have often heard Colonel Thompson refer to 
this last charge of the First Rhode Island at Mt. Jackson. The 
last time I met him was at his house in Chicago, and together 
we reviewed the campaigns of the war in which we were asso¬ 
ciated together, and in which we played our humble part in the 
great drama of Civil War from 1861 to 1865. The march down 
the Valley with the remnant of Jubal Early’s army, captured 
at Waynesborough, the thrilling experience we had in that 
movement, the many disadvantages we labored under, cold and 
cheerless weather, rainstorms and swollen rivers, little to eat, 
a vigilant enemy harassing on our front, flanks and rear, and 
nearly fourteen hundred more in our custody, hopeful that 
their comrades would succeed in the effort to release them, 
were talked of as a number of old comrades sat in the gen¬ 
eral’s comfortable and elegant home, with him acting, in his 
quiet and modest way, as the generous host. He said, “See 
here boys, in our first fight at Front Royal, May 30, 1862, 125 
officers and men of the First Rhode Island captured 150, and in 
our last fight at Mt. Jackson in the Valley, March 7, 1865, a few 
men of the First Rhode Island charged in a brilliant manner, 
driving superior numbers of the enemy like chaff before the 
wind,” thus showing that he was cognizant of the fact then, 
if not at the time he made his report, on March 9, 1865. and it is 
now unfortunately published in the “ Official Records.” 

As ever, yours in F. C. and L., 

Otis C. Wyatt, 

Formerly Captain Com'dg First Neiv Hampshire Cavalry. 
To William Gardiner, 

Secretary First Rhode Island Cavalry Veteran Association. 


FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 


31 


East Greenwich, R. I., Dec. 3, 1895. 
Mr. William Gardiner. 

Dear Sir and Comrade : The statements made in your 
paper entitled “ Cavalry Operations, Middle Military Division, 
Armies of the United States, participated in by the First Rhode 
Island Cavalry,” and read by you at the annual reunion of the 
regimental comrades, August 9th of this year, at Field’s Point, 
Providence, R. I., are entirely correct, and I am willing to tes¬ 
tify,—under oath if necessary—as to the truth of all you have 
written concerning the Mt. Jackson incident in our career as 
a regiment. 

It is a regrettable thing that such a mistake should have been 
made in Colonel Thompson’s report, and is now published as 
history in the “Official Records.” 

Very sincerely yours, of Camp and Field, 

Jasper Spencer, 

Formerly Sergeant Troop A , 1st R. I. Cav. 

















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